During the IRRS mission to Canada from June 1 to 12, 2009, members of the peer review team will assess Canada’s nuclear regulatory regime against international standards and practices in the following areas:
Legislative and governmental responsibilities; regulatory body responsibilities and functions; organization; authorization process (licensing); regulations and guides; review and assessment; inspection and enforcement (compliance); and management system.
“The CNSC is committed to continuous improvement and this is an excellent benchmarking opportunity for the organization,” said CNSC President Michael Binder. “We will see how our policies, procedures and practices compare to international standards and best practices. It will support our efforts to be the best nuclear regulator in the world.”
The IRRS is a service offered by the IAEA to member states. IRRS peer reviews compare a country’s regulatory practices with international standards and equivalent good practices elsewhere in the world. Peer reviews are opportunities for both the CNSC and the IAEA to learn about different approaches to the organization and practices of national nuclear regulatory bodies. The reviews can also provide feedback to the IAEA on the application of IAEA safety standards and contribute to the harmonization of regulatory approaches among member states.
In preparation for the IRRS mission the CNSC conducted self assessments of its regulatory regimes and processes for power reactors, nuclear substances such as sealed sources, and the nuclear fuel cycle and facilities. The IRRS peer review team will produce a report identifying good practices and recommendations. A follow-up assessment will review the implementation carried out by the CNSC.
